Shattered Hearts
by Borrowed Twenties
Summary: The heroes may have gone through lives of adventure, but now that they've moved on, all that remain are the shattered hearts. JxT, AxA. The last chapter on Archie is up.
1. Theresa

Time to recreate the legend that I actually write seriously angsty, emotional fics! I'm bringing back something I hope will be somewhat angsty enough to be called angsty. Today, I also wrote an outline for my Theresa story (NOT COTT, my _own_ created story) and it was super angsty, emotional and sweet. Hopefully I repeat that same angstiness in this fic...?

Disclaimer: I don't own Class of the Titans, but I would if I could.(:

**Shattered Hearts - Theresa**

She gazed out of the window, the bleary day making her yawn tiredly. Rain was pouring down heavily, and the sound of the rain droplets falling was loud, yet beautiful and magnificient. It fell, as heavy as sleet, and the skies were overcast and dark, as though it was already night, when it was, in actual fact, sometime near evening.

She sighed, her hand automatically moving to the necklace that she wore, a sad smile stretching across her beautiful features. Without looking down, she remembered that valuable necklace - it was a silver heart, sleek and smooth, and it was cool to the touch. It was beautiful, yet cold - as though what had once lived in that was now dead, all remnants washed away by this pouring rain. The coolness of the metal made her bite her lip in the remembrance of her love that used to be. But now, it had flowed down the drain, never to be seen again, just like the relentless rain.

She remained silent, a wistful gaze still aimed at the coldness outside the window, the outside world. She was in her father's cattle ranch. Yes, her father owned a cattle ranch, and they were filthy rich, and she was the only child. But still, money couldn't grant one happiness, and neither could it bring her joy, nor fill her with that empowering love that used to fill every inch of her body. Now, only an empty ache remained.

Once again, she was left alone in this cold, unforgiving world, where no one bothered about you anymore. Well, of course, with the exception of her good friends, who once in a blue moon gave her a call to chat about the latest happenings in her life. And when they called, she would feel happy, of course, yet not extremely so, as she knew the one she had loved the most had already thrust her into the forgotten corner of his mind, the place that was dark, chilling and cruel, where loneliness lurked. She would pretend to be the happy, joyous teenager they had always knew her to be, and put on that mask she had learned to always hide behind, to mask that the hurts and the skeletons beneath.

Time and time again, she had been left to fend for herself, alone in the world. Her mother had passed away when she was just seven, and she had cried for many days and nights when that had happened. Suddenly, it was just her and her father alone in her world. She had tried to forget all her sorrows, to cast aside the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her again, but it was impossible, just impossible. There was nearly nothing left for her to live for except her dad - her mum was closer to her than her dad would ever be to her; although her dad and her were extremely close, they shared a bond nothing like she and her mum did before her mum had passed away.

Before that, she had to endure the pain of seeing her mother being diagnosed of lung cancer when she was just six, and had to watch, feeling sick, as her mother cried when she thought of loosing her dear daughter and her beloved husband, since was already at the stage when she couldn't look back. Her mother had been a great woman, one of charity and sincerity, and had always been known to help others, and she was sure that she wanted to follow her mother's footsteps. Yet, before she could emulate her biggest role model in all history, her "idol" passed on without her, leaving her feeling empty and grey.

And then right when she reached sixteen, her father had somehow turned from the kind, loving, nurturing dad into the crazed workaholic. Everyday, it was non-stop work, late nights and work, work, work. Sometimes she wondered where that dad she had loved so much had went to, had he been kidnapped by aliens and replaced by a fraud, she would never know. And now everything was lost, it had been all stolen away from her in a twinkling of an eye - first, death had seized her mum, and now career consumed her dad.

As she bitterly recalled of her past, she was wordlessly fingering that necklace. That special necklace that he had given her.

Solitary, lonely and lost, she had stumbled onto a certain someone and had slowly fallen in love with him.

In her fading hope, she had fallen head-over-heels in love with him, and was impossibly lost everytime she gazed into his mesmerising brown eyes, or see that cute grin that he gave her - maybe she had thought at that time, that grin was meant just for her.

Maybe it was only wishful thinking on her part that she could finally belong somewhere, but she had never dared to give up hope that one day he would, indeed, confess that he too loved her. But she had waited for nearly eternity, and nothing came.

And then, it happened.

He had confessed his love for her, and told her how much he meant to her.

And they had started going out.

They had their fun moments, the occasional quarrel and hugs, as well as a fair amount of kisses, and she had been completely contented then, happy with life and filled with a misleading illusion that he'd stay forever, and forever, and forever.

And when they finally sent Cronus into Tartarus, she thought it would be paradise - no more "crime-fighting" and more chilling out. He wouldn't have to freak so much over the evil god, and they would be able to spend more time together.

But on one rainy day, he had come home, hair dripping wet and completely soaked as he had run in the rain, since he had not taken an umbrella that day.

However, a smile was on his face, bright and unwavering, although he was sneezing the daylights out of himself.

And before she could even ask, he proclaimed that he had been accepted into the college of his choice, and that he would be going to the U.S. to get a degree in the Arts, and maybe go on to take Economy too, or become an editor, or... There were so many possibilities, he had gushed, and she had never seen him that excited and eager before. Deflating a little as he seemed to forget the fact that she'd be left behind, she pointed that out.

A sad look had immediately written itself on his handsome face, and a guilty one, as well, for forgetting her.

He had promised to write at least every week, and she had known him to be a keeper of promises, one whom she could trust. She had immediately given him her dad's address, whose cold and unfeeling house she would be moving back into, right before he'd left for the US and they'd both left the dorm. He had promised, and in doing so, broke her heart, which was already so badly in need of repair that he had sent it shattering, crashing, destroying it and making it irrepairable, beyond repair.

Perhaps it had been a fling for him; after all, they'd only dated for less than a year before they had to separate, and a handful of months wasn't exactly very long. A fling, yes, it had been, for him - he was handsome, definitely, and lots of girls were attracted to him. Who knows, it was entirely possible that on his trip to the US he had met a bimbotic blondie and conveniently forgotten about her, not even bothering to break up with her.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she dropped the cold pendant back onto her neck, remembering that she'd never even received one letter. 39696 Kings Street, Halls Ranch, Canada 242444. Was it that hard to just write her a simple letter, even a _break_-_up_ letter, and send it to that address? Did it really inconvenience him that greatly? If not, why was it he had so cold-heartedly thrown her aside like an worn, useless rag doll that he had enough playing with?

She would never know the reason.

And she had no wish to know why.

For now he was well and truly gone and far from contacting, and she had already long given up on receiving his letter. But then why was it she would dash to the letterbox every morning in search and anticipation of a letter from him? She had never known. Why place her hope on a guy who would never write?

All of them had left her, failed her, one by one, and he was no exception.

Her heart was shattered...

And it could never be repaired.

--

Hope you liked it! Could you please leave a review or something? Would greatly appreciate it, thanks!


	2. Jay

**Shattered Hearts - Jay**

He grimaced, biting his lip in thought as he gazed at the computer screen, his mind totally blank.

He was behind the keyboard, trying to write his paper for his degree. Yet nothing sprang to his mind, he was flat-out of ideas. And worse still, it was due tomorrow and it would be graded and counted in his marks! For a second, he felt like giving in and handing up tardy work, but then he thought against it. He had always been the responsible one, always doing what he needed to do, and this was no exception. Giving up was not an option; it definitely didn't stand as part of his values.

Sighing, he leaned back heavily on the chair and his eyes came to fall on a photo frame that lay on his computer table. A sad smile came to his face as he remembered - in the photo was a younger version of him when he had been a teen, and he had been standing next to his old high-school sweetheart, the one he had promised that he'd keep in contact with when he left for the US.

He should have known he couldn't trust long-distance relationships, for he had always heard of people's strong vows to keep in contact but in the end, failing to keep their promise and drifting apart and breaking up. It had been a long year now, and he still hadn't heard from her.

In the beginning, when he was accepted into the college of his choice, he had left Canada to study the Arts, thinking it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more and experience the outside world a little. He had almost forgotten he would be leaving his friends, and most importantly, his beloved girlfriend, behind.

He still remembered the time when it was a rainy evening. He had been in the library, borrowing some books on Greek Mythology as usual, and also, trying to avoid that letter that lay in the bottom of his bag. He had known it was from the university that he had applied for, and the letter had, surprisingly, come within less than two weeks. He was afraid. Afraid that he had been rejected, and he had been running away from opening it.

Finally, he had given in and opened it, and to his utmost surprise he realised that he had indeed gotten into that particular college! He was beside himself in joy, and almost forgot to borrow his books before running out of the library to rush home and tell his girlfriend the good news.

Running in the rain, he had burst through the door in an instant, startling her, and he had picked her up, swung her around and told her the great news. At that moment, to him it had sounded like the greatest paradise in life, but now he almost regretted leaving behind what he had loved most - his family, his friends and most of all, his one and true love.

For if he had stayed, they wouldn't have had this great distance between them, and they would still be together. He wouldn't have to dream of her wistfully every night, and he wouldn't have to tear up when he wrote yet another letter that she never replied. Perhaps when he had gone, she had immediately found another significant other. He didn't know why his letters weren't being answered, but he knew that she had given up on him. He recalled her sad look when he had told her the news with exuberance, and maybe she knew it would have never worked out in the first place.

For such is love - beautiful at first, and cruel the next. Love could last, but if only the beholder wanted it to, and she hadn't. She had forgotten him.

Yet, he had never forgotten her. Whenever a cute girl in his dorm flirted openly with him or invited him to go for a movie, he would just politely turn down the offer and he had never once been unfaithful. He still remembered her, painfully so, and he wrote every week, just like he had promised. However, he had never received a single letter back, and although everyday he woke up in the hope that he'd, today, finally recieve one of hers, when he opened his letterbox outside the dorm, his fall would fall and he would retreat back to his room and quietly feel the pain.

Hope was the only thing that kept him going; he would never give up. He couldn't. If he did, there wouldn't be anything left, only the hurt that perhaps it had only been a fling for her, and she had never even bothered to send a break-up letter back to him. He didn't know why; it sure looked as though she was sincere at that point in time when they had been happily dating, but then now it was all wishful thinking, and he would never know, not until he returned home after finishing his studies.

He called himself stupid, for not getting her phone number but only her address; after all, he had reasoned, he wouldn't be needing it. Or maybe he had been too worked up over going overseas that he didn't care. And now, all he was left with was the increasing doubt and fading hope. Never again would he probably see her.

And all those times they had shared, all those beautiful moments, all those beautiful laughs - had they all been nothing? Had they been just empty, useless words and memories that were just unreal? She had been his hope, in fact - the one who kept him going when he felt his heart was breaking, when he felt useless, when he had made a mistake, when he had let Cronus escape again. She was the one who encouraged him, teased him, told him to go sailing, and he would, most of the time, follow his advice. But now he wouldn't hear her sweet, familiar voice that he longed for... No longer.

36969 Kings Street, Halls Ranch, Canada 242444. That was the address where he had always mailed his letters, and the same address that taunted him every night. That was the address that was imprinted on his mind, day and night, after writing so many love letters and getting nothing back. Although his room mate had thrown the precious slip of paper where she had written her address down on, he still remembered it. But now, it was just simply laughing at him, laughing at how pathetic he was and how pathetic he had become.

And he almost cried again, missing every moment that he had spent with her, even the quarrels, and he wished that time could have brought them back to that fateful time so he could see her face again...

"Hey, Jay, it's pretty late now, don't you think you should sleep?" Roger, his roommate, called out to him from the kitchen.

He sighed and decided to give the paper a try tomorrow. He would wake up early and complete it.

He would wake up, with a shattered heart...

--

Some of you may be wondering why I put in the address again in the story. If you look carefully at the address from the one from the first chapter and compare it to this one, you might have a realisation of what's been going on. Okay, I feel really sorry for the both of them, but it can't be helped because of a tiny mistake. A tiny mistake that set off this misunderstanding, and now, they might never reconcile with the other ever again.


	3. Atlanta

It's Atlanta this time for this chapter. I was just wondering why I have quite a few hits - 60+ or so - and yet I don't have any reviews. Could you please read and review this story? I don't mind constructive criticism, if you think it less than satisfactory, please have no qualms about telling me. Besides, reviews help one improve, so to speak, so please do review!

**Shattered Hearts - Atlanta**

She lay on her bed, chin propped up, as she gazed listlessly at her pillow. On her pillow lay the blue hoodie, worn and faded, which was neatly folded.

She sighed and fondly touched the hoodie, memories coming back to her in an instant. Those fun times they had shared, the cute little moments and their incessant bickering... And yet with them returned the painful, heartbreaking hurt that she had to face and the emptiness within her.

Four years ago, she had been a happy-go-lucky teen with no worries when she was faced with imminent disaster should she and her friends not deter Cronus from his destruction of the Earth. It had been exciting for her, a real challenge, and a challenge she simply couldn't resist. Besides, it meant making more friends, busting the bad guys' butt and getting a free stay in a dorm - how much better could it get? Little did she know what she was getting herself into.

She had made quite a few friends, her closer ones being the other six who were destined to save the world like she was. Among them was her best friend, a purple-haired dork who couldn't seem to beat her anything. Well, she would admit he was rather good, but it ended there. He was nothing as good as her, obviously. Not that she didn't like him because of that, though. He was kinda cute, yes, but she only looked upon him as her good friend, fellow skateboarder and fun teammate, as well as someone to quarrel with.

There were times she felt a twinge of something in her heart when he gave her yet another one of his goofy smiles and cracked a lame joke, or when he held her hand briefly, or even when they were hanging out in the park. His evident concern for her and jealousy of Pan seemed to be slightly abnormal, only she had merely dismissed it as nothing but her imagination.

Time and time again, she had her orange-haired friend teasing her about him and his undying love for her, but she had ignored it - after all, it didn't seem a bit like him. Anyway, even he really felt like that, why didn't he just come right up and tell her so? But he never did, and she assumed it was nothing more than friendship.

However, as the months went by, she felt that twinge grow stronger and she wondered what it was. Being silly, she never consulted anyone - not her mentor, not her best friend and not herself. She just kept ignoring it and putting it at the back of her mind. She hid her feelings. But who could blame her? Growing up with a bunch of rowdy brothers and a farming family, she had never fallen in love. She had no whatsoever experience about the whole thing, and she wished to avoid it. It was a touchy subject, really, for her.

And so she had taken good care to stay at a comfortable distance away from her, because she had actually started to blush and fumble with her words. She had constantly wondered why, and one day, she finally took to her orange-haired friend for advice, of which she got a reply that she was definitely in love.

But by then, he had started to become colder towards her, and they were slowly drifting apart. Perhaps he thought his love was unrequited, and was distancing himself from her. In a desperate attempt to get him back, she had done everything she could to get their friendship back in order - she had flirted, spent more time with him, and the works. It had worked, and they had been back on track. They'd both blush at moments, have great fun and were back to the good old friends they had once been.

Soon, in the team they had secretly been known as the soon-to-be couple, yet she had no idea why he never once told her how he truly felt. She had been waiting in anticipation for days, seeing her own best friend finally get together with their brown-haired leader. But her own purple-haired dork remained silent and refused to spill. She didn't know what was holding him back. Uncertainty? Fear of rejection? Whatever it was, he never told her anything.

She had come to doubt he truly loved her, and there came a day that Cronus was defeated and they all graduated from high school. On the last day where they going to separate and move on with their lives, she watched as her leader kissed her best friend goodbye, her narcisstic friend give everyone a hug, much to her surprise, and her beefy friend and her nerdy friend exchange email addresses. Her own purple-haired dork had smiled sadly, and she had teared up. He was going to speak, he was going to tell her, she just knew it.

"I... 'Lanta, you know, you've been a really great friend so far. Even moreso than anyone else. I just want you to know that I... I..." She had gazed up into his eyes hopefully, her eyes sparkling as she awaited the golden words she was sure she would come next. But the next words only disappointed her.

"I... I'll miss you." He had looked away nervously, with an awkward expression on his face. She had been crushed, her heart sinking with pain, and she had let out a choked sob. Not wanting to show her hurt and disappointment because all along, he had never loved her, she had pretended to be crying because she'd miss him too. She'd miss all of them, really, but he was the one who would really remain in her heart, yet only as a memory, a beautiful one.

Before he'd left, it was rather chilly outside, so he gave her one of his blue hoodies, the one that she had kept a year later. They shared a last look, and then they'd parted, never to see each other again. She had put on the hoodie and pulled the hood over her head, just like he used to do. That hoodie was once worn by him, and that made it precious, more precious than anything else. It was her greatest treasure, yet it reminded her of the only thing she had really wanted but couldn't have - his love.

As she gazed wistfully at the hoodie, running her fingers over the soft, old cloth, she sighed and picked it up and put it into her closet. It had only brought back memories of the hurt and pain she had felt, and so she decided never to look at it again, rather than feel the sorrow which was too painful for words.

His love escaped her and would never belong to her; she would never have the chance to feel her love, and she had been deluded into thinking she could have gotten it. He was probably now happily married to some other girl, and perhaps had totally forgotten her - his best friend that he had claimed to be the closest friend he ever had.

Laying her head on the pillow softly, she let a soft, warm tear glide down her cheek and fall onto her pillow. Closing her eyes, she dreamt of the days before when they had been happy together...

And she dreamt of the days before when she hadn't yet had a shattered heart.


	4. Archie

Hello, here is the last chapter of the series of one-shots. I've not been updating this story for a pretty long time - well, if consider two weeks or so pretty long. This is Archie we're talking this time. So far, there's been zilch reviews. Would anyone care to review please? You would make someone really happy by that. Constructive criticism is invited; if you hate the fic, just say it, but no flaming please. Next up I shall write a one-shot that rewrites a scene in Little Box of Horrors which is finally an A/A. I feel like writing a disclaimer and so I shall.

Disclaimer: I do not own Class of the Titans. If not, I would be doing really crazy things to the show - like letting J/T get together and let A/A become reality. But oh well, I guess we'll just have to wait for that day for the director to do something about their relationship.

**Shattered Hearts - Archie**

"...Archie? Archie!" the teacher yelled, her face turning almost purple in anger.

His head snapped up immediately, with a guilty look written all over his face. "Yes, M'am?" he replied almost meekly. This woman almost reminded him of a teacher back in his high school who taught Biology - the goddess of spring.

Lately, he hadn't been doing so well in college. Maybe that was because a particular person plagued his mind, becoming almost as normal as breathing. She was always on his mind, all those memories replaying over and over again like it was a broken-down recorder. It drove him mad; the regret, the sadness and the wistfulness invading his brain, destroying all rational thought, making him grumpier than he usually was. He was officially ruining his university life - that is, if it wasn't ruined enough without her by his side anymore. Screwed college life - he wished he was back in New Olympia High, back with his high school friends and his long-time crush - but he wasn't.

His life had never been normal. He never had a family, not a proper one, at least. His parents had been killed when they had been caught in the middle of a gang fight when he was just two, or so he had been told. Any memories he had of them were all vague and passing, and he hadn't felt a particular fondness for them. After all, he had only been two then, without much of a capacity to experience love and react with love. Love had never been existent in his life. His only aunt had never wanted to adopt him - she had been stingy and miserly, after all - and he had been booted off to the nearest orphanage, which happened to be run-down and lacking in facilities. A bowl of porridge for a meal - of course hunger stung him day by day, but he refused to bow down to it, and eventually he got used to it, grown accustomed to the orphan's way of life.

Another traumatic part of his childhood had been swallowed by endless bullying. He could still remember the time when he had been in the rusty old playground in the orphanage when he had a run-in with a group of bullies who had entered the orphanage secretly. When he went home, he sported a black eye and many other cuts and bruises. He had been meek, but meek he was no longer. Perhaps he had developed his negative, apathetic attitude from there. Or maybe it was the lack of love he received. Which one it was, he didn't know, but what he did know was that emptiness engulfed his life like nothing else.

A meaningless life spent running away from reality, locking himself in the closet with a torch writing emotional poems. The closet, surprising for him to hide in seeing how tight it was, was the perfect hide-out for him to write and separate himself from the world. He was just a little kid, and yet he seeked solace in the form of writing. Nothing else could make him more contented, even if that happiness hardly lasted. Momentary, like a brief taste of freedom, and then, like a candle flame, with a flicker and it was gone, so near yet so far, almost within his grasp, like he could reach out and touch it, but it would have vanished without a trace by then.

The closet, indeed, was a fond place of his to hide out until another orphan locked him inside - purposely. It took them a whole day to find him, and when he had been starving, they had punished him instead, making him go without food for the rest of the day. The other orphan got away scott-free. He had always found life unfair, but he had gotten used to the harsh reality of it all - not that that made it any more likable. The closet, from then on, was never touched again.

There was no place for him to take shelter in, and every other day he dreaded. There was nothing for him to live on for, yet he continued to fight on, struggle on. He didn't know why he was trying so hard to survive. There was no voice of reason, no guidance, no shining light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps that worn and tattered fairytale book left over from his parents gave him the hope he needed. He still recalled, the memory a little blurred, his mom sitting him on his lap and telling him happily-ever-after stories when he was a tiny toddler. Of course he knew nothing had a happy ending, but maybe the kid deep down inside him longed for his own ending, and was still half-believing what he had heard when he was two. Perhaps that seemed perplexing, yet at least there was something to keep him going.

Then, when he reached seven, the further torture began. Scarred from the orphanage bullying, he had been tossed from house to house of fake people who supposedly wanted him as part of their family. The first time he had been "accepted", he had been joyful to get out of that stinky old orphanage he had come to hate. Looking forward to a supposed fresh, bright new beginning, he had been so eager, only to have his dream smashed. His surrogate parents had been mean, strict and unloving. Not to mention abusing, as well. They had returned him - till this day, he couldn't fathom why they had even wanted to adopt him in the first place.

From then onwards, he had depised all the "parents" who subsequently adopted the "shy", quiet boy he was. No matter how nurturing they were, how hard they tried, it was never enough. All he saw was a front that hid their interior, and it was just all fake. They hadn't really wanted him, and they never would. He had become a difficult child, always seen overthrowing tables, shouting madly and stomping up to his room, ignorant of everything else except his poetry. Sometimes, he would drift into tears, let them, the hot, searing tears, flow down his cheeks, but he refused to let anyone know. But anyone who had gone through something as painful as his life would have no doubt broken down at some time or another.

Yet, he was a warrior, he had assured himself. Back in the old times when he went to school during the day when he was still in the orphanage, he recalled the times where he had learnt about Archilles. It had a striking similarity to himself - a wonky heel, that part was definitely him. He was impressed by how strong and seemingly undefeatable that Archilles was, and yet, he still had an underlying weakness. It only made his hero seem all the more realistic - strong yet with weakness. From then on, he had tried to convince himself that he was somewhat like Archilles and he could try to be like him. Stronger, faster and better.

He had learnt to fight when he had gotten stuck with gangs on his last adoptive "trip". It was then that he had gotten that ugly purple mohawk. Alright, maybe ugly wasn't the word. Furthermore, he had taken kick-boxing lessons prior to those, so he was pretty clear on fighting. He had been a terrible kid, one that was deemed unchangable and hopeless. He didn't want anyone's pity.

And one day, finally being released from the orphanage that veiled his stony, cold past, he had been seized by a giant that had almost whisked him away. A griffen and a god, however, had come to his rescue promptly, and just in time too. Of course, he would proudly say he had been holding up pretty well before they came.

He had never believed all those, and he wanted to leave. His first taste of freedom, and now it was being stolen away, yet again. Just before he was about to leave, he had encountered a red-haired girl and her friend. He had been rather impressed by their fighting skills, particularly the redhead, and there was something that attracted him to her. Some underlying feelings that he had never experienced before. Unfortunately, it hadn't been enough to keep him to stay. However, the next minute he was caught up fighting a crazed, demented god that was bent on taking over the world, so leaving was no longer an option. He was here to stay.

And then, as the days went by, he got to know her. She was cute in her own little way, funny, and she had seemed to actually care. It wasn't long before he felt himself dipping into a crush, yet he hadn't known exactly what to do with this newfound love he had. All the energy was channeled instead to little love poems that he secretly wrote and kept away.

Her boisterous self, her laugh and her concern was enough to make him swoon. Maybe it was because he had never felt this thing called "love" before, and now that he had found it, he wasn't sure what to do with it. His other friends cared, too, but she was different. She was the closest friend he had ever had.

Jealousy had reigned in his head when he had seen her with another guy. It made his blood boil with rage. His territory. Taken. He had lost all form of rational thought... And now, he had lost her as well.

Before they'd left New Olympia High after they'd defeated Cronus, they had their final goodbye. He didn't know if he had teared up or anything; it didn't matter. He had decided to tell her. He had made up her mind to confess his undying love for her. After all, his own leader had long passed through the barriers and hooked up with his own beloved, so why couldn't he?

He had been tongue-tied and nervous then, and he had been fired up to talk. And then... The words just came.

"I... 'Lanta, you know, you've been a really great friend so far. Even moreso than anyone else. I just want you to know that I... I..."

Had it been his imagination, or was that hope in her sparkling eyes? He hadn't known, and he would never know. He had been unnerved. His mouth was dry, choke-full with cotton, and no words would come. All he knew was that after saying this, there would be no more regrets. If he had destroyed their friendship and everything he had lived for for these 2 years, it would be alright. It was better than hiding all those solemn confessions in his heart, never to be touched... Or was it?

At that moment, it had seemed to be lightning - a realisation that struck him as hard as anything.

He could lose their friendship.

And without thinking next, he blurted out, "I... I'll miss you."

He had seen shock written all over her face, but he hadn't known what for. She had turned away, choked back a sob. He knew she'd miss him. The bestest friends ever, and bestest friends they'd remain. For a little moment, he felt the regret rushing in, and he couldn't hold it back. The next minute was filled with numbness as seeing her shivering and crying, he'd taken off his hoodie and given it to her.

But now, he regretted not telling her. It would have been horrible to see their friendships on the rocks, but now it was twice as bad. No, thrice as bad. Not knowing how the other had once felt, and let the distance slowly grow between the two of them... It cut his heart at what he had done. He had escaped once again. He had escaped, but now the consequences had returned to hurt him and leave him with everlasting regret.

The only girl he had loved, and he had never known whether she had loved him back.

Standing up as the teacher glared fiercely at him, he sighed and rubbed his eyes ruefully, hiding those tears that had actually sprung to his eyes.

He didn't find a point in studying.

No longer, not with a shattered heart...

--

That's the end of it all! I know it's pretty long and it really dragged on and all, and I'm really sorry for that. Please review! I know the ending is a little abrupt, but well, I'm rushing off. Hope someone will review(:


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